The Scent of Apples

 There's something about the scent of apples in the fall. We grow three types of apples.

The Red McIntosh apples are the first to ripen in early September. These are my favorite apples to make applesauce. Each year we can quarts of sauce that don't need extra sweetening due to these juicy, sugary apples. Loaves of apple bread also get baked and frozen. 

There's nothing like a slice of homemade toasted apple bread with a smear of cream cheese to brighten a winter morning. We also use the homemade sauce as a substitute for the fat in our homemade zucchini bread. It makes it moist and oh, so delicious! (not to mention fewer calories!)

Next to ripen is my husband's favorite apple; the Granny Smith. Toward the end of September we peel, core, slice and freeze quarts of these for future homemade pies. Of course, we have to enjoy a fresh made pie during picking, too.

Then, the best tasting apple for fresh eating, the Fuji apple, ripens in mid to late October. They are super sweet and called Ice Apples if you let them hang on the tree a little longer to catch the first light frost. If they're carefully wrapped, they can store in the garden house for fresh eating during winter.

You might not have apple trees, but I urge you to make a homemade pie from fresh apples this season. It is so different, and much more delicious, than any store bought pie. And, the scent is intoxicating!